Nearly 50 years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated, his protégé Jesse Jackson ticks off a list of the many ways in which the civil rights leader’s push for people to reach what he called the “mountaintop” — a final plateau of racial and economic harmony — continues to be a struggle.

Jackson, who was with King in Memphis to press for fair wages for the city’s sanitation workers on the day of the killing, notes all these years later, more than half of African-American workers earn less than $15 an hour — and income inequality in America has ballooned.

White supremacists, Jackson said, are boldly and more frequently espousing their racist views in the aftermath of President Trump taking office.

On Wednesday, the nation marks 50 years since King was shot on April 4, 1968, as he stood on his balcony at Memphis’ Lorraine Motel — a dark moment in American history that triggered riots and violence in more than 100 U.S. cities.

In Memphis, civil rights leaders will commemorate King’s legacy with a march through the city. In Washington, the National Council of Churches will hold a rally on the National Mall they say will be the starting point of a multi-year effort with the lofty goal of eradicating racism and bringing the country together. Smaller memorials honoring King are scheduled throughout the country.

But the solemn milestone also is being observed as the nation finds itself wading through choppy waters in race relations.

The highly charged confrontations between police and black men have affected Americans’ view on race in America, polls show.

For much of the past two decades, race relations has been the issue that Americans say they have been least worried about, according to the polling firm Gallup. The question hit a nadir for American anxiety in 2010 as President Obama — the nation’s first black president — settled into his first White House term: Just 13% of Americans said they were greatly concerned.

Jackson said that if King were alive today he would see a ray of hope amid the uncertainty in the diverse group of young people who organized last month’s March for Our Lives rallies against gun violence in Washington and across the USA.

“There is unfinished business, but my hope is that America has become disgusted with this attempt to go backward,” Jackson said. “The Trump foray … is a temporary season. There is a tug of war for the soul of America. Should we move forward by hope and healing or backward by hurt and hate? I think hope and healing will win.”

Martin Luther King Day is a federal holiday held on the third Monday of January. It celebrates the life and achievements of Martin Luther King Jr., an influential American civil rights leader. He is most well-known for his campaigns to end racial segregation on public transport and for racial equality in the United States.

What do people do?

Martin Luther King Day is a relatively new federal holiday and there are few long standing traditions. It is seen as a day to promote equal rights for all Americans, regardless of their background. Some educational establishments mark the day by teaching their pupils or students about the work of Martin Luther King and the struggle against racial segregation and racism. In recent years, federal legislation has encouraged Americans to give some of their time on this day as volunteers in citizen action groups.

Background

Martin Luther King was an important civil rights activist. He was a leader in the movement to end racial segregation in the United States. His most famous address was the “I Have A Dream” speech. He was an advocate of non-violent protest and became the youngest man to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. He was assassinated in 1968.

In 1968, shortly after Martin Luther King died, a campaign was started for his birthday to become a holiday to honor him. After the first bill was introduced, trade unions lead the campaign for the federal holiday. It was endorsed in 1976. Following support from the musician Stevie Wonder with his single “Happy Birthday” and a petition with six million signatures, the bill became law in 1983. Martin Luther King Day was first observed in 1986, although it was not observed in all states until the year 2000. In 1990, the Wyoming legislature designated Martin Luther King Jr/Wyoming Equality Day as a legal holiday.

Born in Atlanta, Martin Luther King Jr. moved to Montgomery, Ala., with his new wife Coretta in 1955 after King accepted a position as pastor of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church. King met Coretta while he was studying for his Ph.D. at Boston University and they were married in June 1953. Yolanda, their first child, above, was born in November 1955.

King said in an interview that this photograph was taken as he tried to explain to his daughter Yolanda why she could not go to Funtown, a whites-only amusement park in Atlanta. King claims to have been tongue-tied when speaking to her. “One of the most painful experiences I have ever faced was to see her tears when I told her Funtown was closed to colored children, for I realized the first dark cloud of inferiority had floated into her little mental sky.”